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May 9, 2016 - Child Care Payment Update

5/9/2016

Here is the latest information from the IDHS Child Care Information line (217)524-9041. This message will be updated again around May 13th.

Fiscal Year 2016 Budget

A budget for the Child Care Assistance Program has not been approved for the fiscal year that began July 1st. However, a court decree authorized payments to individual home child care providers who provide services in either their home, or the home of the child, and are not part of a Child Care Home Network. Also, in August, SB2042 HAM#3 was signed into law (P.A. 99-0409). The act includes several federal appropriations to support IDHS programs which allowed the department to begin also issuing payments to center providers and home network providers.

Approvals

With the new bill being passed, most payments are being approved for payment by IDHS. However, some adjustments have been made. Some days IDHS will only be able to approve payments to home providers and some days only center payments will be approved. On occasion, IDHS is able to approve both Home and Center provider payments. However, these adjustments do not affect the overall timeliness of provider payments. Recently, IDHS has been approving payments for Home Providers only, and will continue for probably one or two more days. On May 9th, IDHS plans to approve MOST payments for Home Providers that were entered up to May 5th. IDHS always notes MOST on the approval of payments because some payments get held up for individual technical issues that require manual processing. IDHS plans to possibly switch back to approving only Center Provider payments on May 11th or 12th.

To follow the approval of payments via the internet, you can generally see approved payments at: www.dhs.state.il.us

Go to tab: FOR PROVIDERS

Click on: Payments

Click on: Provider Payment Inquiry

Enter: SS# or FEIN

Click on: Submit

*After clicking submit, the most recent approved payment will appear at the top of the next page. Look for the CVR Date column. The CVR Date is the approved date of the payment. There is also an Issue Date column. The correct issue date will appear two working days after the payment was issued by The Office of the Comptroller.

For issued payments: MOST payments are issued one to three working days after being approved by IDHS. Payments are issued at night, paper checks are mailed the next working day. Direct deposit payments and debit card payments are in accounts two working days after being issued. Weekends and holidays are not working days.

Next enter the VENDOR NAME (name as listed with The Office of the Comptroller. Businesses need to use the legal name as Comptroller has them listed)

Select image noted

Click: Submit

Click: Payment Detail

Click: Find Warrant (the most recent issued payment will be listed at the top of the next page)

New Debit Cards

Normally, funds are on the debit card two working days after the payment is issued. However, it may be late on the second day after the issue date before the funds reach your account. For providers that are paid through the debit card, if you have trouble with your card, or need a new card, you need to call the card company customer service line at: 1-866-338-2944. To speak with a customer service representative at the card company, do not enter your card number when the message asks for it. Press the # sign when mentioned. Then when instructed press option 4 for lost, stolen, or damaged card. Next you will be instructed to enter your social security number, zip code, and PIN Number. Only put in your social security number and zip code. After entering those two things, a representative should come on the line.

To find out when your payment was entered and approved, call 800-804-3833. Licensed providers must enter the IVR case number to hear information on their payments. Please refer to the most recent child care certificate or other child care case information for the IVR number.

For child care case specific questions, or if you have a payment that was returned undeliverable, or if you have not received a payment that was issued over 20 days ago, you need to contact your Child Care Resource and Referral Office for assistance.